Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Tested on: PC
Mortal Kombat XL (PC) – Review
Mortal Combat: Fighting to the death; a physical fight between persons or groups wherein each side is attempting to kill the other. This doesn’t only apply to humans, animals can engage in mortal combat, too. Be it over territory for example. Mortal Kombat on the other hand is a gaming series that started off in 1992 and as gaming series go, has also been given a reboot in 2011. Knowing this it means the series has been going strong for over two decades, and by the looks of it’s still ready for another round. Mortal Kombat XL is the updated version of the Mortal Kombat X which was released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and mobile devices. Sadly this meant that the PC version wasn’t included. NetherRealm Studios has since catered to the PC gamers and have released Mortal Kombat XL, bigger, equally as bad as its console counterpart and let’s admit, that’s what we’re all here for.
Story
The defenders of the EarthRealm went head to head with Shinnok, an evil sorcerer and locked him away. Now there’s a non-aggression pact going between the Earth Realm and the Outworld and new fighters have taken it upon themselves to defend that pact. There wouldn’t be much of a story if there wasn’t some bad guy going around trying to break the pact. This being Mileena. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn and when that woman holds the medallion in which Shinnok is locked away in, you know things are about to go sour for the inhabitants of Earth Realm.
When it comes to story, Mortal Kombat has evolved from a ‘tell’ to ‘show’ kind of game and it really does the gameplay wonders. It helps the player stay immersed, and even though the writing can sometimes be cringe worthy, it somehow keeps the entertainment level high enough so the player doesn’t feel like skipping the story altogether.
Graphics
Back in 1991 there wasn’t anything stopping you from making a really gritty, gory game and having kids of whatever age play your game and get all hyped on the over the top violence. Mortal Kombat in 1992 started a precedent that altered the way games are viewed. No longer were they just gleeful pieces of wasted time, but a danger to the minds of younger audiences. This was the start of the age restrictions on video games. Fast forward to present day and you’ll see exactly why this is a good thing. See the pictures below for reference. On the left you see an image of the rather date over the top gore of the first game and on the right you see the current version.
It’s safe to say these games haven’t really stepped down on the gore and violence. If you want to run this game on your pc, then don’t try this on a pc that barely scratches the specs, because this game is a benchmark with it’s fluent movement and fast paced action, your rig might stutter and you won’t get the best out of the experience.
Sound
When talking about sound it’s difficult to say whether or not the sound effects are realistic. Gamers aren’t really going to know what the sound is of someone tearing of another being’s extremities, or the sound of someone snapping someone’s spine. Having said that it does sound quite visceral and pleasing. The voice acting is solid and the actors really give it their all.
Gameplay
Mortal Kombat XL is a fighting game. It comes down to literally beating the living snot out of the opponent and then performing a finisher which varies for every combatant but is equally disgusting and bloody in its execution. The Story mode is a string of fights held together with cutscenes that have QTE’s. Whether or not this is something that belongs in a fighting game is something of personal taste. They are distracting, and often tear your attention away from the screen as your mind switches between gawking at the action and then being shaken awake as you try and find the right button to press. It’s a bit of a shame because it’s never really clear when the game takes the control away from you and then shoves the control back in your hands and failing a QTE somehow feels really dissappointing as you wonder how your character would have brutalized the opponent if you had pressed the right button a nanosecond faster.
Mastering a fighter is a challenge, but a fun one at that. The game really does shine when you aren’t relying on purely cheesing your way through the fights, but when you are gracefully juggling your opponent like a bag of wet gravel, helplessly ragdolling as you lay waste to them. Mastering a character can be quite tricky as there are quite some combo’s and every character has three variations with different fatalities and play styles. So a lot of trial and error might happen before you find that character whose fighting style just ‘clicks’ for you.
Why the XL version over the regular X Version? There’s all the characters that came up in Pack one and two added onto the game, so there’s more bang for your buck. If you already own the original ‘X’ version, you might want to consider diving into the DLC packs.
Conclusion
If you are a fan of Mortal Kombat, then this will scratch that itch, if you aren’t yet and are looking for a solid fighting game then look no further. However know that mastering the fighting will take some time and this will be necessary if you really want to get the most out of the game. If you are looking for an easy to master fighting game with simple mechanics then this won’t suit your taste.
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